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Rising gas prices, falling dollar value driving me toward drastic measures

As I’m leaving my apartment complex in Ruston, I glance down at the gas meter. Great. I have to get gas, so I knew I was about to take a hit. Yet, I didn’t expect to see a $3.09 gallon gas tag on the sign.As I’m filling up the tank, I start immediately thinking of how to get more income. I need to pay some bills next month, and the thought of selling plasma comes to mind. Then again, I don’t want to feel cheesy after doing it, so that was out.

Driving onto campus, I’m shocked to see that there’s only a $3.03 gallon gas tag in the city of Grambling. When has Grambling gas EVER cost less than Ruston? Shocker.

Then, the realness sank in that I would be broke if I drove every day, even though it’s a necessity for me to complete grad school. I gave up on trying to save gas, figuring I didn’t want to mess up my tank by putting water in it.

A little angry, I turn into Washington-Johnson Complex’s parking lot to find another disappointment. There were yellow pieces of papers sitting under people’s wipers. The ticket patrol had succeeded once again.

Why must students get tickets for parking spots that are limited? I would understand it if the parking spots were plentiful and some students were just hard-headed, but that’s not the case.

The campus parking spot closest to Washington-Johnson Complex serves as student parking for Woodson, Charles P. Adams and Carver Halls. With few parking spots for academic buildings on campus overall, it saddens me to see that the administration is taking advantage of students trying to further their education.

It’s bad enough we have the Bush administration lining their pockets from oil profits, but now we have GSU lining its pockets from ticket money. Let’s not talk about the idiotic prices set by publishers on books. And the rising prices of groceries aren’t helping the cause. Apparently, we’re getting screwed from every direction.

The value of the dollar is falling, killing the stock market. The stock market has been trying to bounce back for the last couple of weeks, only to fall again. The dollar is about to be dead if this trend continues. I’m still mad I paid $30 for a $10 program in Europe.

With all of these financial problems, it’s official. I’m moving to Canada. Now if only I could scrape up the money to do it, I’d be fine. Until then, I’m stuck paying for these gas prices and watching the pile of tickets increase.